Many years ago when we started to have a few too many kids and didn't give them enough attention, we got a crash course in taming wild kids. We learned very quickly that you can't just leave baby goats out in the pasture and expect them to be as friendly as the family dog. How to tame a goat Even friendly goats tend to run more when they're in a big pasture, so start by … [Read more...]
Do goats need grain during pregnancy?
Every winter, when most dairy goats are pregnant, someone will post a link to this study in an online group and ask if they should be feeding their does grain during pregnancy. After all, they don't want a bunch of dead kids in the spring, which is what this study says will happen if you don't feed your does grain during the middle of their pregnancy. Although this is a … [Read more...]
Kidding in winter
No, I'm not talking about cracking jokes. When they give birth, cows calve, sheep lamb, and goats kid. Because calves are so big and lambs are born with a wool coat, winter birthing doesn't cause anywhere near the issues that it does for goats, which are smaller and have less insulation. The smaller the goats and the lower the temperature, the more you need to … [Read more...]
Changes in Purina and Sweetlix Goat Minerals
Purina and Sweetlix, two of the most popular goat mineral companies, have both changed their formulas. This may be a good thing in the long run, but they did nothing to alert consumers to these changes, which could have negative consequences. Many goat breeders supplement their goats with additional copper and other minerals beyond the free choice minerals. Because the new … [Read more...]
The Best Pet Goat Breeds — and more
When people think about getting pet goats, they sometimes think it is just a matter of choosing the best pet goat breed. Although breed is important, I'll also talk about the difference between male and female goats, as well as the difference between bottle-fed and dam-raised. Best pet goat breeds Although the smallest goat breeds often make great pets, some of the larger … [Read more...]
Caring for Senior Goats
Buying goats is definitely a long term commitment as they can easily live to more than ten years. The oldest female goat on our farm died at 16 years of age, and another died at 14. Most of our does have died around age 12 or 13 while bucks usually die by 9 or 10. You might expect bucks to live longer since they don't get pregnant or make milk, but I suspect … [Read more...]
What do goats eat? It depends!
Many new or aspiring goat owners ask what goats eat and expect a short, simple answers. Some just expect you to say, "Everything!" because they even eat tin cans, right? Um, no, they don't eat tin cans. And they don't eat everything. Compared to cows, goats actually have a fairly sensitive digestive system, so it's fairly easy to create a problem. The answer to the question … [Read more...]
Deworming Goats
Although it appears there are about a dozen chemical dewormers on the market, all fall into one of three categories. Drugs in the same category have a similar mode of action and work to kill similar worms. Deworming goats correctly is an important step in preventing dewormer resistance. When I was writing the first edition of this book five years ago, a new dewormer that was … [Read more...]
Learning to milk a goat
You may think that only you need to learn to milk a goat, but it's not a natural thing for a goat to let a human take her milk. So, the goat also needs to learn to be milked. This is why it's a great idea for you to get an experienced milker as your first milk goat. At least one of your knows how it works. However, that's not usually possible. So, before we talk about … [Read more...]
Goats vs. Cows: The Ultimate Comparison
When we first moved to the country, I didn't give much thought to goat vs cow. I thought we needed a goat to make "goat cheese" and a cow for all of our other dairy products, such as milk, cream, cheddar cheese, yogurt, and so on. Before I learned the error in my thinking, we had already purchased two cows, in addition to three goats we bought. If you grew up drinking … [Read more...]